Conference anti-harassment/Policy
Also see The Duty Officer wiki page Example anti-harassment policy for conferences Introduction This is an example anti-harassment policy suitable for most open source, computing, or technology-related conferences. It may be adopted unchanged or tweaked to suit your conference. Why have an official anti-harassment policy for your conference? First, it is necessary (unfortunately). Harassment at conferences is incredibly common - for example, see this timeline of sexist incidents in geek communities. Second, it sets expectations for behavior at the conference. Simply having an anti-harassment policy can prevent harassment all by itself. Third, it encourages people to attend who have had bad experiences at other conferences. Finally, it gives conference staff instructions on how to handle harassment quickly, with the minimum amount of disruption or bad press for your conference. We have collected some discussion about common concerns and questions surrounding adoption of an anti-harassment policy here: Anti-harassment policy resources Anti-harassment policy text Most conferences will want several different versions of an anti-harassment policy: a short, medium, and long version of the policy for public consumption, and an internal version spelling out implementation for use by the conference organizers and staff. Short public version This is a very short version that refers the reader to a longer version of the policy. Suitable for footers on announcement emails, web pages, news stories, etc. : $CONFERENCE is dedicated to a harassment-free conference experience for everyone. Our anti-harassment policy can be found at: : for full anti-harassment policy Medium public version This is a statement of the organizers' principles and sets expectations for the tone and style of the conference. Suitable for the conference web site and longer announcements. : $CONFERENCE is dedicated to providing a harassment-free conference experience for everyone regardless of gender, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, or religion [insert any other specific concerns here]. you want to add some humor, you can also list text editor, programming language, or operating system. We do not tolerate harassment of conference participants in any form. Sexual language and imagery is not appropriate for any conference venue, including talks. Conference participants violating these rules may be sanctioned or expelled from the conference a refund at the discretion of the conference organizers. Our anti-harassment policy can be found at: : for full anti-harassment policy Long public version This version focuses on specific instructions to the participants, with the goal of preventing harassment in the first place through education. Suitable for the conference web site and conference program material. : medium public version of policy here. : Harassment includes offensive verbal comments to gender, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, religion, [your specific concern here], sexual images in public spaces, deliberate intimidation, stalking, following, harassing photography or recording, sustained disruption of talks or other events, inappropriate physical contact, and unwelcome sexual attention. Participants asked to stop any harassing behavior are expected to comply immediately. : in the expo hall, sponsor or vendor booths, or similar activities are also subject to the anti-harassment policy. In particular, exhibitors should not use sexualized images, employees (i.e., "booth babes" or "greeters" hired for their appearance), clothing/uniforms/costumes, or activities. : If a participant engages in harassing behavior, the conference organizers may take any action they deem appropriate, including warning the offender or expulsion from the conference no refund. If you are being harassed, notice that someone else is being harassed, or have any other concerns, please contact a member of conference staff immediately. staff can be identified by t-shirts/special badges/head sets. : Conference staff will be happy to help participants contact hotel/venue security or local law enforcement, provide escorts, or otherwise assist those experiencing harassment to feel safe for the duration of the conference. We value your attendance. : address for organizers : number for conference security or organizers : number for hotel/venue security : law enforcement : sexual assault hot line : emergency and non-emergency medical : taxi company : We expect participants to follow these rules at all conference venues and conference-related social events. Internal version for conference staff This version is intended for internal use by the conference staff. It defines an example enforcement policy that can be tweaked to suit your conference organization style. : Warnings : Any member of conference staff can issue a verbal warning to a participant that their behavior violates the conference's anti-harassment policy. Warnings should be reported to email address/phone number/etc. here as soon as practical. The report should include: :* Identifying information (name/badge number) of the participant :* The time you issued the warning :* The behavior that was in violation :* The approximate time of the behavior (if different than the time of warning) :* The circumstances surrounding the incident :* Your identity :* Other people involved in the incident :* guideline here :Presentations : Presentations or similar events should not be stopped for one-time gaffes or minor problems, although a member of conference staff should speak to the presenter afterward. However, staff should take immediate action to politely and calmly stop any presentation or event that repeatedly or seriously violates the anti-harassment policy. For example, simply say "I'm sorry, this presentation cannot be continued at the present time" with no further explanation. :Taking reports : When taking a report from someone experiencing harassment you should record what they say and reassure them they are being taken seriously, but avoid making specific promises about what actions the organizers will take. If the reporter desires it, arrange for an escort by conference staff or a trusted person, contact a friend, and contact local law enforcement. Do not pressure the reporter to take any action if they do not want to do it. :Expulsion : A participant may be expelled by the decision of any of the above listed entities for whatever reasons they deem sufficient. However, here are some general guidelines for when a participant should be expelled: :* A first/second/third/seventeenth offense resulting in a warning from staff :* Continuing to harass after any "No" or "Stop" instruction :* A pattern of harassing behavior, with or without warnings :* A single serious offense (e.g., punching or groping someone) :* A single obviously intentional offense (e.g., taking up-skirt photos) :* guideline here : Hotel/venue security and local authorities should be contacted when appropriate. :: conf/hotel/venue/law enforcement/hot line contact info here :Public statements : As a general rule, conference staff should not make any public statements about the behavior of individual people during or after the conference. : In general, consult with other staff members when possible but act when necessary. License and attribution This policy is licensed under the Creative Commons Zero license . This policy is based on several other policies, including the Ohio LinuxFest anti-harassment policy, written by Esther Filderman and Beth Lynn Eicher, and the Con Anti-Harassment Project. Mary Gardiner, Valerie Aurora, Sarah Smith, and Donna Benjamin generalized the policies and added supporting material. Many members of LinuxChix, Geek Feminism and other groups contributed to this work. Conferences who have used or adapted this policy Please add a link to your own conference policy, if it was adapted from or inspired by this one. * Open Source Developers Conference, November 2010: http://2010.osdc.com.au/code-conduct See also Also see The Duty Officer wiki page Category:harassment policy